Children of all ages have used construction toy systems for many decades. The first erector sets were comprised of metal fittings using basic nuts and bolts, which enabled children in the 1920s to construct basic structures. Though these early games were challenging or physically demanding to create, they revolutionized a play pattern that has quickly become a staple in the global toy industry.
Today, many popular toy construction companies such as LEGOS® utilize rectangular shaped blocks which make connecting these pieces relatively easy. Though these designs are easily assembled, the uniform shape and configuration of the blocks limits the user's ability to manipulate models once initially connected.
Further construction sets have attempted to employ more user-friendly connectors which allow for flexible joints using hooks, snaps, or v-shapes. However, these designs were often expensive, and the connectors often failed after only a few uses.
Currently, there are several toy construction sets that have integrated a light source within their building blocks. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,894 to Rosen/Dattari; U.S. Pat. App. No. 20140349544 to Chien; and U.S. Pat. App. No. 20130109268 to Lin. However, despite their respective advantages, these references do not disclose an illuminated toy construction set where the building members may be “popped” together or create a semi-flexible joint using a nipple fitting.